Candidate Guidance Notes

Part-time Employment Officer

(2 x 20 hours posts available)

Ref: 18/06/EO003

Closing Date:Friday 9th March 2018 at 12 noon

Provisional Interview Date:w/c 19/03/18

Contents

Prior to completing the application form we recommend that applicants familiarize themselves with the contents of this guide which includes:

Section 1About Orchardville

Section 2Our Services

Section 3Organisational Structure

Section 4Why Work for Orchardville?

Section 5The Benefits of Working for Orchardville

Section 6Job Description & Personnel Specification

Section 7The Recruitment & Selection Process

Section 8Terms of Appointment

SECTION 1ABOUT ORCHARDVILLE

Orchardville is a registered charity under the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland. We have been supporting people with Learning Disabilities and / or Autism in employment in Belfast for over 35 years. Founded in 1982 by a group of parents and carers who sought a more challenging alternative to Day

Centres, Orchardville has continued to grow geographically and the services offered have developed and expanded substantially over the years.

Our mission

Orchardville is committed to be the leading provider of opportunities to EQUIP people with a Learning Disability or Autism to achieve their individual ambitions.

Our vision

To achieve an inclusive society where equal opportunities are enjoyed by everyone.

Our values

We aim to deliver our mission by living and upholding our values of EQUIP:

  • Empowerment – Orchardville, families, employers and funders work together to enable all Users to achieve goals and aspirations.
  • Quality – Through creativity and innovation we are committed to providing excellent services to meet the changing needs of all Users.
  • USER – We place the Service User at the centre of everything we do.
  • Integrity – We place high value on the reliable and honest way we conduct our business and will ensure everyone is treated equally and respectfully.
  • Passion – At the heart of our team we are passionate to energise, engage and inspire everyone.

SECTION 2OUR SERVICES

Initially limited to the Belfast area, Orchardville services have been expanded throughout Lisburn, Bangor / North Down and the North-West areas, thanks to funding awarded by the European Social Fund, local government departments and some Health and Social Care Trusts, in addition to self-generated income.

The services that we offer are provided under three main themes – Employability and Skills, Community Inclusion and Social Enterprise.

EMPLOYABILITY & SKILLS

Employment & Skills Service (Ignite 2)

Ignite 2 supports people aged 16 – 65 to prepare for work, live a more independent life and to secure and maintain a job which is right for them. We offer various accredited training programmes and opportunities

for work placement in our internal social enterprise hubs, or with employers in the public, private and voluntary sectors.

Workable (NI)

Workable (NI) provides ongoing support and guidance to Service Users who work more than 10 hours per week. The support includes advising employers on reasonable adjustments and delivering disability

awareness training. Employment staff also job coach and mentor employees to ensure they retain their job and progress within the workplace.

COMMUNITY INCLUSION

Transitions

We support school leavers aged 16 – 19 to travel independently, manage their money and job sample with various employers. The service allows young people and their families to make important decisions about what do when they leave school, with options including Further Education, training and employment.

TAP 2

TAP2 provides extra support to Service Users aged 18 – 30 who have left full-time education but who need some extra time and support to progress onto the main employment programme. It encourages the

development of independence and employability skills through training and accessing local services.

Community Living and Support Programme (CLASP)

The CLASP service encourages Service Users to be more involved in their local community and supports them to create lasting friendships, offering isolated individuals an opportunity to develop social skills and creating fun and exciting opportunities.

SOCIAL ENTERPRISE

Orchardville facilitates a number of social enterprise initiatives as a platform for employability skills to be obtained. Such initiatives include:

Orchard Café

Orchard Café celebrates the culture and food of East Belfast and is famous for its Titanic Fry! We offer a selection of local breads and cakes along with daily lunch specials which compliment all other dishes.

Within the café environment, Service Users are provided with opportunities to develop social, customer service and catering skills.

Orchardville Business Centres, Belfast & Bangor

Our business centres provide a variety of services including mailshots, digital printing, t-shirt and canvas printing. Around 12 Service Users will be on-site at any one time and will be involved in each live job that

comes through our doors. Each job is treated as a training opportunity for our Service Users and can be anything from creasing a printed card to assembling magnets.

Orchard Crafts

Orchard Crafts is our mini-enterprise project, providing places for approximately 20 Service

Users. At Orchard Crafts we make a variety of items including repurposing old frames and other decorative items, as well as making Christmas decorations which are then sold in Starbucks Coffee shops all over Northern Ireland during November and December.

Gifts that Give Retail Store

Gifts that Give is our new retail gift shop for social enterprise products. Based at Bloomfield shopping centre in Bangor, our products include chocolates, candles, soaps, jewellery, photo frames, personalised

cards, frames, canvas prints and much more! The store provides an excellent opportunity for service users to get an insight into a career in a retail environment.

Orchardville c/o Coca-Cola

We have a contractual arrangement with Coca-Cola to provide a range of services and activities at the Coca-Cola Hellenic site in Lisburn, including pallet sorting, manufacturing unit repairs, cooler filling,

warehouse cleaning, external litter picking and general maintenance. Our facility at Coca-Cola provides both paid employment and unpaid work placements to Service Users.

SECTION 3ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE

Orchardville employs approximately 70 staff across 6 locations. The Chief Executive leads our Senior Management Team (SMT) who are responsible for services in the areas of Employment, Social Economy and Community Provision. Orchardville is governed by a Board of Directors.

Offices & Training Hubs / Orchardville (Head Office & Business Centre)
144 – 152 Ravenhill Road
Belfast
BT6 8ED / Orchardville (Bangor)
159 Belfast Road
Bangor
BT20 3PP / Orchardville (Lisburn)
TSL House
Unit 1, 38A Bachelors Walk
Lisburn
BT28 1XN
Social Enterprise Hubs / Orchard Café
395 – 405 Newtownards Road
Belfast
BT4 1RH / Gifts That Give Retail
Bloomfield Shopping Centre
Bangor
BT19 7HB / Orchadville c/o Coca Cola
Coca-Cola HBC Northern Ireland
12 Lissue Road
Lisburn
BT28 2SZ

SECTION 4WHY WORK FOR ORCHARDVILLE?

To make a difference….

Working at Orchardville is so much more than just a job. Our amazing staff and volunteers make a lasting difference to the lives of hundreds of people with Learning Disability and / or Autism every year. We recruit over a wide variety of areas, including:

  • Employment and work placement support
  • Transitions Services
  • Job Coaching (in a variety of areas which include office, horticulture, retail, catering and crafts among others!)
  • Community Inclusion
  • Project Co-ordination

Here at Orchardville, our focus is to support and develop our Service Users and therefore the majority of our workforce is made up of people in the areas above. However, if you want to work for Orchardville,

but don’t think the above roles are right for you we also provide opportunities to indirectly support what we do through Finance, HR and Admin roles.

To make the most of both your career, and your life outside of work….

At Orchardville, we value Employee well-being and work-life balance. We offer many family friendly policies and employee benefits. We promote well-being and have a positive work-life balance within a supportive working environment.

As we continue to expand both in numbers and geographically, there are regular opportunities for promotion and other internal job moves.

For the perks….

At Orchardville we value our employees and strongly believe that employee contribution should be recognised.

SECTION 5THE BENEFITS OF WORKING AT ORHCARDVILLE

Staff are key to the continued success of Orchardville and we want to make sure they are rewarded accordingly. As part of this commitment we provide a number of enhanced benefits, as detailed below.

Generous Annual Leave

Orchardville offers a generous holiday allowance to support staff. The annual leave period for staff runs from 1st April – 31st March. Holiday entitlement will depend on job grade, as detailed below:

Grade / Minimum Leave Entitlement in Days* / Entitlement after 5 years* / Entitlement after 10 years*
Non-Management / 21 / 22 / 23
Production Supervisor / 23 / 24 / 25
Managers & Co-Ordinators / 24 / 25 / 26
Senior Management / 27 / 28 / 29
CEO / DCEO / 28 / 29 / 30

*For part-time workers, holiday entitlement will be pro-rata to hours worked.

Statutory Holidays

In addition to the annual leave noted above, all staff* are entitled to 12 statutory holidays per year:

New Year’s Day / 12th July
Easter Monday / 13th July
Easter Tuesday / Late Summer Bank Holiday Monday
St. Patrick’s Day / Christmas Day
May Day Bank Holiday Monday / Boxing Day
Spring Bank Holiday Monday / + 1 extra day at Christmas

Additional Leave

In addition to annual and statutory holidays, Orchardville also provides a half day holiday for Christmas shopping and 3 paid days leave for employees who are getting married or entering into civil partnerships.

Pension andDeath-in-Service Benefit

New employees will automatically be enrolled into the Orchardville pension scheme. This is a non-contributory scheme, however employees who wish to contribute may arrange this with the pension

provider directly. Contributions made by us will depend on job grade, as detailed below:

Grade / Employer Pension Contribution
Non-Management / 7%
Supervisory / 7%
Unit Management / 7%
Senior Management / 9%
CEO / DCEO / 12%

Family Friendly Policies

  • Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay
  • Flexible Working Policy
  • Childcare Vouchers
  • Time Off in Lieu (TOIL) Policy
  • Work-life balance

Employee Discount & Perks

  • Employee discount at Orchardville Cafes and Business Centres
  • Employer contribution towards Christmas Dinner
  • Free meal at Annual Awards Ceremony
  • ‘Thank-you’ culture

SECTION 6JOB DESCRIPTION & PERSONNEL SPECIFICATION

Job title: / Part-time Employment Officer (2 posts available)
Accountable to: / Deputy Chief Executive
Reporting to: / Head of Employment & Progression
Hours: / 20 hours per week (Monday – Friday)
(Occasional work outside of these hours, including evenings and weekends, may be required to meet business need)
Salary: / £20,094 pro rata (£11,482) (under review)
plus 7% non-contributory pension scheme (after qualifying period)
Location: / Derry / Londonderry, covering the Western Health & Social Care Trust area.
(Some travel to our Belfast offices will be required for approx. 3 months initially for training purposes)
Holidays: / 21 days + 12 statutory days (pro-rata)
Duration: / These posts are funded by the European Social Fund until March 2022, with possibility of further extension.

Main Purpose:

The Employment Officer willsupport participants with Learning Disability and/or Autism on our IGNITE2 project to secure and sustain paid or voluntary employment opportunities.

Using the supported employment model, they will deliver a tailored personal programme that will guide participant’s progression towards their agreed employability goals.

To maximise progression for participants, the Employment Officer will be required to engage with employers; sourcing meaningful work experience and paid opportunities as appropriate.

Main Responsibilities

1.Operational Targets

The Employment Officer will support the achievement of departmental objectives by delivering a number of key performance measures. These include:

  • Number of work experience opportunities sourced for participants
  • Number of paid jobs secured by participants
  • Number of participants progressing from Project IGNITE 2 to alternative education & training provision
  • Number of disability awareness training sessions delivered to employers

2.Participants

The Employment Officer will be responsible for delivering a structured and individualised work preparation programme to participants as detailed within the Project IGNITE 2 programme model. This will include:

  • Induction
  • Initial assessment
  • Vocational profiling and action planning
  • Negotiating structured, time limited internal and external work placements
  • Negotiation of paid and voluntary employment opportunities
  • Identification of participant training needs
  • Ensuring progression to employment and alternative provision

3.Employers

The Employment Officer will be expected to engage with and develop relationships with new employers, as well as maintaining and building on existing employer relationships. Evidenced by:

  • Recruiting a range of employers to the programme to ensure quality work experience and employment opportunities are available that match the aspirations and skills of participants
  • Delivering diversity/disability awareness training to employers as required
  • Conducting a detailed Job Analysis including relevant health and safety and risk assessment information
  • Ensuring regular liaison with employers at the correct level to ensure progression, including monitoring and feedback from co-workers, HR and senior staff

4.Other Stakeholders

The Employment Officer will be expected to develop appropriate relationships with other stakeholders, to include:

  • Working with families to maximise progression and development on the programme for participants
  • Liaising with appropriate colleagues in other agencies including careers service, Health & Social Care personnel, Education and Further Education and other voluntary sector colleagues as required

5.Quality Assurance

The Employment Officer will be responsible for ensuring that all participant information is recorded and compliant with Orchardville processes and procedures. This will include:

  • Compiling written records and reports as required including assessment information, action plans, reviews, risk assessments etc
  • Inputting information onto EVIDE Impact Tracker (internal database)
  • Monitoring and recording participant progression and outcomes at bi-annual reviews using the project’s agreed impact measurement tool
  • Tracking completers and early leavers over a 12-month period.

6.Financial and Information Services and Records Management

  1. Adhere to financial procedures and ensure receipts and records are maintained for all expenses.
  2. Ensure you personally use of the resources of the organisation in an effective and efficient manner at all times and that any services commissioned are in line with procurement practices and best value.
  3. Provide management information reports and feedback on all activities as required.
  1. Ensure relevant records systems (electronic or paper based) and customer databases are accurate, up-to-date and effective.
  2. Ensure the processing and retention of information as required by legislation and / or the needs of the organisation including GDPR.

7.Health & Safety

  • Actively ensure your own safety and the safety of those around you, ensuring that all aspects of health & safety are adhered to in line with organisational processes and procedures as outlined in the staff handbook.
  • Highlight potential risks in relation to participant safety, carry out risk assessments as appropriate and ensure risk management procedures are followed.
  • Undertake daily safety checks.
  • Ensure personal safety by complying with the Orchardville Lone Worker Policy.
  • Ensure adherence to safeguarding policies and procedures, legislation and good practice.
  • Contribute at all times to the physical cleanliness and general condition of the facilities.

8.Training, Development and Practice

All Orchardville employees are encouraged to continually develop their skills and knowledge by:

  • Taking part in quarterly Planning & Development (P&D) meetings and an annual appraisal with the Line Manager.
  • Identifying personal and departmental training needs and providing comprehensive feedback on training undertaken.
  • Performing the job in accordance with our policies and procedures, especially our Equal Opportunities and Dignity at Work policies.
  • Ensuring that the values of Orchardville (Empowerment, Quality, USER, Integrity and Passion) EQUIP are evident and form the basis of professional conduct.

9.Other

In addition to the above duties the Employment Officer is expected to be flexible and undertake other duties and additional tasks that may be required due to changing priorities or circumstances.

Special Requirements:

  1. The post-holder will be required to travel other Orchardville locations and to external stakeholder (i.e. employers) premises on a regular basis and therefore the successful candidate must have or be prepared to arrange “Business Use” car insurance to fulfil the duties of the role.
  1. The successful candidate will be required to undergo an Enhanced Access NI check, which will be funded by Orchardville.

Personnel Specification

Criteria / Essential / Desirable
Education and Qualifications
Educated to Level 3 or equivalent i.e. A level, AS level, NVQ level 3 / 
Third Level qualification / 
Foundation Diploma in Supported Employment / 
Vulnerable Adults / Child Protection Training / 
Additional Training
Knowledge and understanding of the DDA, the duty for reasonable adjustment and basic knowledge of employment law and processes i.e. recruitment & selection / capability / grievance / redeployment procedures / 
Able to demonstrate an understanding of the issues facing adults with learning disability / ASC particularly with regard to employment / 
Knowledge and understanding of government funded employment programmes e.g. Workable NI, Access to Work, Steps2Success etc. / 
Experience
A minimum of 1 years’ experience in a sales-focused environment with responsibility for achieving personal targets. / 
Recent relevant experience of preparing individuals for employment and sourcing work opportunities for them / 
6 months experience of working with people with ASC and / or Learning Disability either paid or voluntary. / 
Experience of organising and negotiating work placement / employment opportunities with employers. / 
Experience of working within a Supported Employment organisation using the Supported Employment Model of working / 
Experience of facilitating forums e.g. Service Users, parents, Employers / 
IT / Technology
Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office applications including Word, Access, Excel etc. / 
Other Requirements
Current full driving license, valid in the UK, and access to a car or other form of transport which will permit you to carry out the duties of the post in full.
N.B: Alternative transport methods will be considered for those who have a disability and cannot obtain a driving license. / 
Required Behaviours
Proven ability to deliver results within agreed timescales / 
Able to demonstrate flexibility within role / 
Ability to use initiative and make decisions within remit / 
Able to demonstrate good communication and organisational skills / 
Proven track record of working within a team to achieve outcomes / 
Demonstrate organisational values of Empowerment, Quality, User focused, Integrity, Passion (EQUIP) / 
Special Circumstances
Successful candidates will be required to undergo an Access NI disclosure check.

NB: Criteria may be enhanced to assist short-listing.